In Case You Haven't Heard...WE'RE SOLICITING DONATIONS (and it's not for school :) )

Dear family and friends,

I just wanted to let you know that I will be running the Salt Lake City Half Marathon on April 19th as part of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation’s Hometown Heroes program. A small group of my friends and I will be running in memory of my friend’s mother who passed away this last year after a twelve-year battle with cancer. I would appreciate your help in reaching our goal to raise $3,000 for cancer research, prevention and care before the deadline on April 4th.

Donations are tax deductible and will go directly to the Huntsman Cancer Institute’s mission of giving people “a reason to hope.” You can donate online at https://www.active.com/donate/huntsman08/JeffStevens. You can print out a tax receipt immediately.

It's a sad truth that there are very few people today whose lives have not been touched in some way by a friend, family member or other loved one who has had to battle with the devastating effects of cancer. It attacks without regard to race, color, gender, religion, age, wealth or lifestyle. In fact, 1.37 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed this year alone. Men have a lifetime risk of 1 in 2 of developing cancer; for women, the risk is 1 in 3. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, where 1,500 people die from cancer each day. The numbers are staggering…but if you've had cancer touch your life in some way, you know all too well that it's not about the numbers – it's about the people. We never know when, how, or who cancer will strike next. Just before Christmas, one of my classmate’s in the MBA program found out that his three-year old has stage four neuroblastoma – a life-threatening form of cancer. As I watched that classmate and thought of my own three-year old I was reminded again of just how fragile life really is. Such situations can leave us feeling helpless and questioning why us, why now. Please join with me by making a donation – in your own name, or in the name of someone you love who has been affected by the devastating reach of cancer. And please pass this along to anyone you think may be interested in donating as well. Together we really can make a difference!

Thank you so much for your help and generosity,

Jeff Stevens